Ember's Quest
by Robert Teague
Summary: Book II of the Ember Trilogy. Ember has no memory of her life, and wants to know about it. She, Danny, Sam, and Tucker go on a quest in the Ghost Zone to find the answers.
1. Chapter 1

Ember's Quest

This story is written solely for the entertainment of Danny Phantom fans, and no copyright infringment is intended. This story may be reproduced, provided no changes are made, and you let me know.

Chapter 1

Vlad Masters sat behind his desk, and stared at Skulker.

"You have to be kidding!" he said.

"No, boss, I'm not. It's all on this disk," Skulker replied, handing Vlad the floppy.

"Very well; here is your fee," said Vlad. He pressed a button on his desk, and a moment later the door opened. Desiree, the Wishing Ghost, drifted in. She looked unhappy, but resigned to her fate.

"Ah, wonderful!" said Skulker, rubbing his hands together and grinning, "She will be the crowning jewel in my collection!" Desiree shuddered and closed her eyes.

He pressed a button on his costume, and a green beam hit Desiree, locking around her wrists.  
Another button, and his jetpack wings emerged. "Come with me," he told her, and she nodded. He turned intangible, and flew up through the ceiling. Desiree shot Vlad a venomous look, and followed.

Vlad put the floppy into his computer, and looked at the files. He shook his head as he read them. 'If only I had known,' he thought, 'I wouldn't have been so quick to destroy her. She had been the key to dominating the entire Ghost Zone! All that power in my grasp, and I let it go.' He sighed. 'Well, what's done is done. I'll check on Daniel soon, and see what I can throw at him next...'

Time had passed since Ember's return from being nearly destroyed by Vlad. The school year had ended, and the four friends had more time together.

One evening found Ember and Sam sitting in Sam's room. Ember was playing for Sam a song she had written called "Invisible Girl". It was a sad tale of a girl who loved a guy, but he never saw her.

"Wow," said Sam as the song ended, "The emotional impact is impressive. Great job!"

"Thanks," said Ember, taking a sip of water.

"How many songs does that make now?" asked Sam.

"Eight. A few more, and I'll have enough for a new album!" was the reply.

"When you're finished, I'll talk to my dad, and we'll see if we can get your career started again," said Sam, stretching.

"That would be great. And this time, I'll do it on my own. No spells," said Ember.

"Well, I believe in you, and your talent," said Sam.

"I know. And thanks," said Ember. Her hair stirred and grew a fraction of an inch.

"Well, I want a snack," said Sam, getting up. "Back in a few minutes." She didn't offer Ember anything, knowing full well the ghost girl only needed water occasionally. Not doing so made her feel rude, but Ember had assured her there was no offense taken.

While Sam was gone, Ember floated at the window, looking out over Amity Park. She was worried.  
It had been some time since Vlad Plasmius had been defeated while trying to capture Ember.  
He was still out there, and the punishment he had promised her, being sealed in an iron box,  
was still waiting. She figured it was only a matter of time before he struck again. Besides,  
she felt it wasn't safe to go public again until he was out of the picture.

A few minutes later, Sam returned, and sat down on her bed. She had brought a small salad with her.

"I've been meaning to ask," she said between bites, "Did you start your career before you became a ghost?"

Ember stopped and thought for a minute, then got a puzzled look on her face. "I- I don't know. I don't have any memory of before I became a ghost."

"None at all?" asked Sam, looking puzzled in her turn.

Ember shook her head. "No. My first memory is opening my eyes in the Ghost Zone. I could remember my name, but nothing else. I wonder why I never thought of that before."

"That's strange," commented Sam, finishing her salad.

"Yeah... I wonder what I was like," said Ember, softly.

"We can do a web search, if you want," said Sam, gesturing at the computer.

"Okay, now I'm curious," said Ember, "Let's do it."

Half an hour later, they admitted defeat. They had brought up many fan sites, most no longer updated, articles and news that was old. They found her debut articles, but nothing before then. On an off-chance, they tried looking for an obituary, school announcements, anything,  
but had no luck. It was if Ember had come out of nowhere.

Sam looked up at her ghostly roommate. "This is getting really wierd. Maybe we'd better call it a night, and talk to Danny and Tuck tomorrow."

"Good idea. I need some time to think about it, anyway," replied Ember.

Sam brushed her teeth, changed into her night clothes, turned out the light, and went to bed. Somewhere in the room, Ember watched over her.

Sam lay in the dark, eyes closed. She started to relax, and drift towards sleep.

"Sam?" came Ember's voice.

Sam didn't open her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Can...can I ask you for a favor?" said Ember.

"Sure," replied Sam.

"Okay, this is gonna sound really wierd, but..." her voice trailed off.

"But?" Sam prompted.

"Will you... will you let me lie down next to you?" asked Ember.

"Plenty of room on the bed," said Sam, slightly annoyed, "You know that."

"No, I mean lie down right next to you," clarified Ember.

There was a long minute of silence. "Why?" said Sam, at last.

"Your body heat," said Ember, embarrassed.

"Excuse me?" said Sam, turning and looking into the dark room. She saw no sign of her ghostly roommate.

Ember sighed, and began to glow a faint green, letting Sam know where she was. She drifted down cross legged, and landed on the bed. Sam's eyes followed her. The bed barely stirred when she landed.

"You know how cold I am," she started.

"Yeah..."

"Well, the heat from living beings is the only kind we ghosts can feel. I mean, I could stand in the middle of a furnace, and not feel anything. But you are like being near a campfire on a cold night. I'm just a-asking if you will share that with me," said Ember.

Sam turned back to her original position, but said nothing.

The silence stretched long, until Ember broke it. "Too personal? I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not that," said Sam, "I was just thinking that, since you don't sleep, you could snuggle up next to me all night, and I'd never know."

"I wouldn't do that. I respect you and your privacy too much. I normally don't notice the cold, but lately I have been. This would give me some relief from it," said Ember.

Another silence followed, and Sam finally said, "Okay, you can. Just don't freeze me out."

"I won't. And thank you so much," said Ember. She lay down with her back to Sam, and drifted to within a few inches of her. "Mmmm...that's much better," she murmured.

"If you absorb enough heat from me, would that make you feel warm to me?" asked Sam.

"Uh... I don't know... but I doubt it," was the reply.

"Okay. But you are right about one thing..." said Sam.

"And that is?" asked Ember.

"It IS wierd," said Sam.

Again, Sam relaxed, and drifted off to sleep. Ember lay and basked in the heat from the living girl who was her best friend. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Time passed, and Sam slept. Ember lay with her back to Sam, and revelled in the heat. She had been afraid Sam would not only refuse to share her heat, but order Ember out of the house. She should have trusted Sam to realize there was nothing untoward in the request, only a matter of comfort for the ghost. She smiled, once again realizing what a good friend she now had.

The smile faded as Ember's thoughts went back to a more important subject; Vlad. Both he and the thought of the iron box terrified her. There was a solution that would probably keep her safe from him, but she didn't want to resort to that until all other options had been exausted. If she could think of any other options.

The night passed, and finally day broke. Ember was no closer to a solution than she had been the night before.

They met Danny and Tucker at the park entrance the next morning. It was the weekend for the monthly Amity Park Swap Meet, where Desiree had accidentally been set free months ago.

Madam Babazita was there, and Danny waved to her as they passed.

They wandered down the rows, looking at the knick-knacks, and had fun wondering what some of them were.

Sam found a stack of back issues of a Goth magazine she collected, and was able to fill most of the holes in her collection.

Tuck found some memory cards compatable with his computer, and Danny found a game controller like he had before his dad confiscated it to build some ghost-hunting device.

Ember got a pack of guitar strings, but really had no use for anything else there. She had fun watching her friends, but for herself she wondered what was the big deal? It was just physical stuff, after all.

Several hours later they left the swap meet, and reconviened at the Nasty Burger. Sam told the boys about Ember's lack of memory, and how a web search had turned up nothing about her beyond what they already knew.

They spent some time questioning Ember, trying to trigger a memory, and find out what the limits were on what she remembered.

"So what it boils down to, for example, is that you know what a 'telephone' is, and how to use one, but have no memory of ever doing so," said Tucker.

Ember nodded. "That's right. Just like when I used Sam's computer that first night. I knew how to do a web search, but I couldn't tell you how I knew."

"Really strange," said Danny, "It's almost like your memory has been blocked on purpose."

They all looked at him, eyes wide.

"I hadn't thought of that..." said Sam, "You could be right."

"Let's go back to my place, and let a REAL computer expert do a search," said Tucker,  
cracking his knuckles.

"And just who might that be?" asked Sam.

Tucker looked at Sam sourly, while she, Danny, and Ember laughed.

Back at Tucker's they spent a couple of hours at the computer, but had little more luck than Sam had had. Tucker tried every trick he knew, but it was ultimately a futile effort.

"I'm sorry, Ember," he said, "It seems like info on you just doesn't exist."

"That's okay," she replied, "Thanks for spending the time looking, anyway."

"There IS one place we haven't looked," said Danny.

"Where?" asked Tucker.

"The Ghost Zone. Her first memories are there, so that's where we need to look," he replied.

"Oh, man, I HATE that place," said Tucker, shivering.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea," said Sam, looking worried.

"I'm not fond of it either," said Danny, shrugging, "But Ember deserves to be a whole person. I think we owe it to her to help."

"You're right, Danny," said Tucker, after a moment's thought, "I'm in."

"Me too," said Sam, "When are we going to go?"

"How about tomorrow morning? Mom and Dad are out of town at a supernatural convention,  
and Jazz won't bother us," said Danny.

"Sounds good," said Sam. "Ember, is this okay with you?"

"Sounds great! I'll try to remember what I can about the Ghost Zone." Ember looked at her friends. "Thank you all so much for caring about me," she said.

"That's what we're here for!" said Tucker.

They made their plans, then went their separate ways for the evening.

Back in Sam and Ember's room, Sam lay on the bed, reading "The Collected Gothic Poems of the Year, Vol. 5", while Ember stood and looked out the window. The sun set, and darkness took over. Lights appeared in windows about town, and Ember stood unmoving.

After some time had passed, Sam noticed the silence. She put down the book, and looked at her roommate.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, "You've been brooding all day."

"Yeah, there is," replied Ember. She left the window, drifted over, and sat down cross-legged on the bed. The bedclothes barely stirred.

"I'm sure we'll find out something about you tomorrow," said Sam.

"It's not that," said Ember, "It's the other situation. Sooner or later, Vlad is going to find out he didn't destroy me, and try again. He'll know for sure if I make a comeback."

"If he tries anything, Danny will protect you," said Sam.

"But Danny can't always be there, and it's not fair to him to expect him to be. He's got other ghosts to worry about," was the reply.

"Well, what do you want to do?" asked Sam.

"I want you to cast that spell on me," said Ember.

Sam blinked. She opened the drawer on the side table, and pulled out a piece of paper. When she did, the iron necklace fell on the floor. It was ignored.

"This spell?" asked Sam, waving it.

Ember hesitated, then nodded. "I've thought about it a lot, and this is the only way I can see that I'll be safe."

"But this will make you my slave. Is that what you want?" asked Sam.

"No, but I'd rather belong to you than him. I know you won't abuse me," was the reply.

"Do you really trust me that much?" asked Sam.

"You sleep with a ghost in the room. That takes a lot of trust," Ember pointed out.

"That used to be true, but you've earned my friendship and trust since then," said Sam.

"Just like you earned mine when you freed me from that necklace," responded Ember.

"I guess you're right..." Sam said, reluctantly.

"Then let's do it, before I chicken out," said Ember.

"Okay. But I want you to know this is not going to change our friendship! I promise"  
said Sam, with emphasis.

Ember smiled. "I believe you."

Sam started to read the spell aloud, then stopped. "You sure you don't want to wait until we get back?"

Ember shook her head. "He might be in the Ghost Zone," she said.

"All right, then. But I'm doing this with reluctance and reservations," said Sam.

"Me too..." murmured Ember.

As Sam read the spell aloud, green smoke issued from the paper, and formed a cloud over their heads. When the last word was spoken, the paper suddenly burst into green flame.  
Sam dropped it, but it was consumed to ash and gone before it touched the bed. The cloud drifted down and surrounded them both, then slowly vanished.

To Sam, nothing seemed different. Ember was standing and staring off into space, unmoving.

"Uh...you okay?" asked Sam.

Ember jerked around like she had been shocked, and stared at Sam like she had never seen her before. Suddenly she stepped over and dropped to her knees in front of Sam.

"It worked," she said, bowing her head, "I belong to you now."

"Ooookay..." said Sam, and Ember stood up. "Does anything seem different to you?"

"It's hard to put into words... I'm much more...aware of you, now. I'm attentive to every breath you take, every word you speak, every movement you make. I'm ready, willing, and eager to do anything you tell me to," said Ember. "It's like... you've become the center of my universe."

Sam cocked her head, and eyed Ember.

"No, not like that... I'm not... in love with you, or anything. Just your willing servant"  
Ember quickly added.

"That's a relief. But we expected something like this, anyway. And I'm not going to give you orders if I don't have to," said Sam.

"Your choice," replied Ember.

There was an awkward silence, which Sam finally broke by asking, "How about a test? I'll tell you to do something you would never normally do."

"Sure," said Ember.

"Okay... pick up that necklace, and put it on," said Sam, pointing at the pile of iron links by the table.

Without hesitation, Ember stooped and reached for it. With her hand an inch from it, Sam cried "STOP!". Ember obeyed and stood up.

"Were you really going to pick it up?" asked Sam.

"Well...yeah..." answered Ember.

"But it would hurt you. Why would you do that?" asked Sam.

"You told me to," said Ember, and her eyes grew wide. "I didn't even think about it! I just obeyed!"

"I can see I'm going to have to be careful about what I say to you..." said Sam, picking up the necklace and putting it away.

"I think you're right," said Ember.

The hours up till bedtime passed in near silence.

As Sam crawled into bed, she looked up at Ember floating near the ceiling. "I'm really sorry about this," she said.

"Don't be," said Ember, "I asked for it. And, I do feel...safer."

Sam smiled, and turned out the light.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

They all met in Danny's basement at nine the next morning. The Spectre Speeder was pointed at the Fenton Portal, waiting for the expedition to begin.

"Man," yawned Tucker, "This is too early to be up."

"You'll get over it," said Sam, "Everybody brought their lunch and jacket?"

There were various answers, and Danny showed them a compartment for stowing them. Ember had brought her guitar, and added it to the equipment.

"I want to thank you all again for doing this," said Ember, "Getting my memory back is important to me."

"I know. It's important to us, too," said Danny.

Jazz was standing halfway up the basement stairs, listening to the preparations.

"Well, how sweet!" she thought, "I'll do what I can to help."

She snuck back upstairs and went into the kitchen. "Danny?" she called. There was no answer.  
"DANNY!" she called, much louder.

"It's Jazz," said Danny, "I'll be right back." He went ghost, and flew up through the ceiling and back into his room. As he walked downstairs, Jazz met him at the bottom.

"Oh, there you are. I wanted to tell you that Mom and Dad won't be back until late, and I'm going to spend the day at the library," said Jazz.

"Okay, thanks for the heads up," said Danny.

Jazz picked up her purse and some books. "I've got my cell if you need me." She was out the front door and gone.

Danny went back down to the lab. "Well, Jazz just left," he said.

Tucker was standing at the computer next to the Portal control console.

"Hey Danny, we just caught a break," said Tucker.

"What is it?" asked Danny, approaching him.

"Apparently the Fenton Portal takes a spectral signiture of every ghost that passes through it. I'm downloading the data into the Speeder's computer. We can use it and the navigation system to find any ghost we want," said Tucker, beaming.

"Hey, that's great, Tuck!" said Danny.

"Yeah, good work!" added Sam, and looked at Danny. "Any idea what ghost we should look for?"

"Technus," said Danny, "He told me he made Ember's guitar."

"He did? Technus? I don't know that name," said Ember, looking surprised, "I just found it and kept it. I didn't know where it came from."

"We fought while you were missing. I asked him about you, trying to get a clue about what happened to you. He told me then," explained Danny.

Ember nodded, thinking of the event.

"If we're ready, let's go," said Sam, taking her place as the pilot. Tucker slid in as navigator. Ember sat in one of the rear seats.

Danny opened the Portal, and joined Ember in the other seat. A burst of accelleration,  
and they were in the Ghost Zone.

"Let's start at the beginning," said Sam, "Ember, can you direct us to where you first woke up?"

"I doubt it..." said Ember, unhappily, "But I do know it is a long way from here."

"Would you know it if you saw it?" asked Sam.

"Mmmmmaybe..." answered Ember, even more unhappily. She had just discovered that a part of the spell gave her almost physical pain if she disappointed or upset Sam.

They flew along for a while, looking at the strange sights the Ghost Zone had to offer.

Finally Danny said, "This sightseeing is fun, but let's set a goal. Tuck, see if you can locate Technus."

"On it," said Tucker, tapping keys. A picture of Technus appeared on the monitor.

Ember looked at it closely, then shook her head. "I've never seen that ghost," she said.

"It looks like we've found another clue," said Sam, "Somebody blocks her memory, then gives her a guitar anonymously. Doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe it will when we have the whole story," answered Danny.

"I can't seem to find him," said Tucker, looking up with frustration on his face.

"What about the Box Ghost?" asked Danny.

Tucker tapped keys. "Got him. He's not too far away."

"Walker?" asked Danny.

More keys. "Found him too," was the reply.

"How about Ms. Spectra?" put in Sam.

"I met her once," commented Ember, looking at the picture, "She seemed nice, but I got major bad vibes from her."

"You have NO idea," said Danny.

"No, no sign of her... Bertrand either," said Tucker.

"Jonny Thirteen?" asked Danny.

"Yep, him and Kitty," said Tucker.

"Hmmm... so Technus, Spectra, and Bertrand aren't in the Ghost Zone... let's file that away for later," said Danny. "Who could we talk to, then?"

They spent some time discussing the possibilities, but none seemed promising.

"Well, I don't know, then," said Sam, "There are big reasons for not talking to every ghost we can think of, except the Box Ghost, and I doubt he'd be much help."

I wish we knew what to do now..." said Tucker.

There was a long silence, then suddenly Danny brightened. "Tucker, that's it! I know who we can ask!"

"Huh? What did I say?" asked Tucker, looking at Danny with confusion.

"You said, 'I wish', and that means only one ghost!" said Danny with excitement.

"DESIREE!" said Danny and Tucker together.

"Who?" asked Sam, while Tucker went back to the keyboard.

"The Wishing Ghost we told you about. She gave Tucker ghost powers that were greater than mine," said Danny.

Looking at the picture on the monitor, Ember smiled. "I've met her! She was nice!"

"I found her," said Tucker. "And there's something odd. She doesn't seem to be moving."

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

"Every other ghost I found moved around on the navigation screen. But not her," explained Tucker.

"Hmmm... maybe something is wrong with her. Let's go and find out," said Danny.

"On the way," said Sam, and the Speeder turned in the direction indicated, and moved off.

They travelled in silence for a while, until Danny turned to Ember. "You've been really quiet today. Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," said Ember, distracted.

Sam sighed. "She talked me into casting the spell on her last night. So now I have my own personal ghost."

Danny and Tucker looked at Ember, who smiled. "Don't worry, I'm happy with this. Besides,  
I'm now taking Sam's well-being very seriously. Nothing will harm her if I can help it."

"Good to know, thanks," said Danny, and squeezed Ember's hand.

Unseen by Danny, Sam blushed lightly.

After some time, a floating island came into view.

"Oh, great, that's Skulker's headquarters," said Danny, grimacing.

"Well, according to the locator, she's there," said Tucker, who tapped keys, "So is Skulker,  
but he's not with her right now."

"I guess I'll have to risk it," said Danny. He grabbed a pair of Fenton Phones, when ghost,  
then went intangible.

"As near as I can tell, she's in that building between the palm trees," said Tucker, pointing.

"Okay, I'll try there. You guys be careful," said Danny.

"Don't worry, Sam will be safe while you're gone," said Ember.

"HEY!" said Tucker.

"Oh, uh, Tuck too..." she added quickly.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," said Danny, and flew through the side of the Speeder. He looked back and waved, then turned invisible and was gone.

"I'm sorry, Tucker," said Ember, "I didn't mean to leave you out, but my attention is focused on Sam."

"That's okay. You seem to have a lot to keep up with," said Tucker. He called up Danny's spectral signature so they could track him.

Danny flew to Skulker's lair, feeling more nervous by the second. He kept watching the trees and bushes, but saw nothing. Finally he landed beside the large white building.

"This must be it," he thought. and tried to walk through the wall. He slammed into it, and fell over backwards.

"Oh, right," he murmured, holding his sore nose. He stood up, transformed to human, and THEN proceeded to walk through it unimpeeded.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

In his human form, Danny walked through the wall of Skulker's lair. He quickly looked around,  
but saw no one. He returned to ghost form and became invisible.

He drifted up near the ceiling and took a better look around. He was in a large room with cages set in rows and columns. It was well-lit, the inhabitants clearly visible. He drifted over and took a closer look at a cage. 'Iron,' he thought. 'No wonder they haven't escaped.'

He drifted down the first row, looking in each one. There was one ghost per cage. Many of them were humanoid, or animals. Several made his eyes hurt to look at. Then he saw a short humanoid ghost with spindly arms and legs and a large head with huge black eyes. Danny had been interested in UFOs for a while, and he recognized the ghost as an alien called a "Gray". It was surprising to learn they actually existed, and even more suprising that one was here. Then it occurred to him that there was no reason why Earth should be the only planet with ghosts, and the Ghost Zone was as infinite as the living universe.

The Gray seemed to be staring directly at Danny, even though he was invisible, and it turned its head to follow him as he drifted by. But it said nothing, and made no other movement.

He continued through the room until he came to the end of the inhabited part. Beyond that sat empty cages to the back of the room.

'I must have missed her,' he thought, an turned back to the front. But a glimpse of color caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He flew between the empty cages to the very back of the room. There, in the far corner, was his quarry.

Desiree was in a small cage that was barely wider than she was, and barely taller. She had turned her lower, "smoky" half into legs, and stood on the bottom of the cage. The cage was so small that she had little choice but to stand as still as possible. There was no way for her to sit down, and hardly any movement would bring her into contact with the iron bars, and the pain from them.

As Danny approached, he saw she was softly weeping.

Using his new ghost power, Danny looked intently at her.

'She isn't evil,' he thought with relief.

"Desiree?" he said quietly.

"Who is there?" she asked quickly, "Skulker?"

"No, it's me, Danny Fenton," he said, and became visible.

She stared at him. "The ghost child," she said. She stood a little straighter. "So, it wasn't enough to capture me in the living world and send me to the Ghost Zone. Now you are here to laugh at my misery, and make my torture worse."

"No, I'm here to rescue you," Danny replied.

"Well, enjoy it while you can," she said harshly, "Because someday I will get out of here, and I will... uh... what did you say?"

"I said I'm here to rescue you. How do you open this thing?"

"RESCUE ME?" she said, hope appearing on her face, and just as suddenly replaced with suspicion. She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"We need your help," he replied, looking at the cage.

"Need my help?" she echoed.

"Yeah. Look, I'm going to get you out of there, and all I ask in return is that you come with me, listen to the problem, and make a fair and honest decision if you will help or not."

"And if I choose not to help, you will wish me back into this cage," she said.

Danny shook his head. "No, you'll be free to go."

She stared at him. "You swear this?"

"Yeah, I do," he replied without hesitation.

She was silent for a few seconds. "Done. The bargain you offer is more than fair," she said.

"Great," said Danny, "Now how do I get you out?"

She nodded at the wall. "There is a set of buttons over there that control the cages. I am in the Punishment Cage. It is labled like that."

He drifted over to the wall, and found the control console. Each cage was numbered, and each had a toggle switch labled "Open" and "Close". The Punishment Cage had a more complex set of controls, that made it larger or smaller, taller or shorter. He found the correct switch,  
and turned it to the "Open" position.

The top of Desiree's cage swung open, and she drifted up and out of it. She spread her arms,  
and turned her lower half back to smoke. A huge grin was on her face. She flew over to Danny,  
and opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, there was a sudden blare of sirens and warning lights flashing.

"Oh, great," said Danny.

Desiree was panic-stricken. "What do we do now?" she asked, looking around fearfully.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!" boomed a voice from the front of the room.

"SKULKER!" said Desiree, grabbing Danny's arm. "We are doomed!"

Danny suddenly grinned. "No, we're not!" he said, and began flipping switches to "Open".

Ghosts of all shapes and sizes flew out of their cages. There was mass confusion, and Skulker ran around screaming, and trying to recapture them all at once.

"Come on, this way," Danny said, pointing toward the far wall. He turned invisible, and Desiree followed suit.

As they moved toward the wall, they kept an eye on Skulker. The other ghosts had suddenly gotten the idea to gang up on him. They surrounded him, and advanced toward him. Skulker merely grinned, and waited for them.

At the wall, they turned visible. "How do we get through?" asked Desiree, "He has a magic ghost shield on the walls to prevent escape."

"I have an idea," said Danny. "I don't know if this will work, but I hope so."

Danny turned human. "Quick, get inside of me," he said. Confused, Desiree did so. Danny proceeded to walk through the wall with no trouble.

"Okay, you can come out, now," he said, and she did.

"I am impressed, ghost child," she said, "And I will hold to our bargain."

"Call me Danny," he said, returning to ghost form, "And follow me."

He flew over the hill, and back toward where the others were waiting. Desiree followed closely.  
Behind them, the alarms were still blaring, and the sounds of fighting could be heard.

Danny pulled down the microphone from the Fenton Phones he was wearing. "Tuck? Sam? You there?"

"Go, Danny," answered Tucker.

"Mission accomplished," said Danny, "And we're heading back. Turn on the beacon."

"Roger that. See you soon," replied Tucker.

A beeping sound came from the Phones, which grew louder in a certain direction. They flew in that direction.

Distances and time act strangely in the Ghost Zone, and while it seemed to take them an hour to get there, it also seemed to be just over the hill. They landed beside the vehicle, where Tucker, Sam, and Ember waited.

Using wood from a nearby stand of dead trees, they had made a ring of stones, and started a fire. The fire was an eerie green, but warm. Danny returned to human form, stepped over to it, and warmed his hands. Sam handed him a jacket, which he put on.

"So what happened?" asked Tucker.

"I found her in an iron cage so small she couldn't move without touching it. I got her out,  
and freed all the other ghosts he was holding," answered Danny.

Ember shuddered appreciatively.

"How did you end up there?" asked Sam of Desiree.

"Vlad Plasmius captured me, and sold me to Skulker," she replied.

"One more score to settle with him," muttered Danny.

Desiree looked at him. "It is of no consequence," she told him.

"What? You don't mind being treated like that?" asked Sam.

Desiree shrugged. "I am a harem girl. I have been sold before. And punished when I failed to please my master. I am used to it."

"Well, we're not, and it's not going to stand," said Sam.

"You will seek revenge on my behalf?" asked Desiree, confused.

"Vlad has a lot to answer for," answered Sam.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Ember stepped over to Desiree. "Hi. Remember me?" she asked.

Desiree turned her smoky half back into legs. She looked at Ember for a long moment, then shook her head. "No, I do not," she answered.

"One of my first memories is finding myself in the Ghost Zone, and wishing I knew where I was. You suddenly appeared and granted my wish. I asked your name, and you told me, then flew off," said Ember.

Again, Desiree shook her head. "I grant many wishes. I do not remember all those I grant them to," she said.

"Well, Ember's the one we need your help for," said Danny, turning his back to the fire to warm it up.

Desiree looked at him, then Sam and Tucker. "In all the thousands of years I have existed, I have never heard of humans who help ghosts."

"Get used to it," said Sam, "Ember's our friend."

"I can see there is a story here worth listening to," said Desiree.

The five of them settled around the campfire, and told Desiree the story. When they were finished, Desiree was silent, taking it in. Then she looked around the campfire at them. "Quite a tale," she said.

"Now it's your turn. Will you help us?" asked Danny.

Desiree stood up. "I must consider," she said. Then looked at Danny. "To be clear: after I give my answer, weither yea or nay, I am free to go, correct?"

"That's right, you are," answered Danny, "Though if you say yes, you should grant the wish first."

Desiree smiled. "Of course. But now, let me think." She stepped away from them, and looked out over the bleak landscape.

Ember was suddenly nervous. She might soon know!

Tucker stepped over to Danny. "Can you trust her?" he asked in a low voice. "Remember what happened when she gave me ghost powers."

"Yeah, I remember," said Danny, "But we made a deal when I rescued her, and she's played it straight since then. So yeah, I think we can."

Neither of them realized Desiree could hear every word. She smiled to herself. 'These children are so niave,' she thought, 'But they have helped me, and are helping that other ghost. I am finding this most interesting.'

"I just wish we could be sure of her," said Tucker.

Desiree turned to them. "As you wish it, so shall it be," she said.

"HUH?" said Danny and Tucker together, looking at her.

"Yes, you may trust me," she said, "If I answer yes, I will grant her wish without tricks or evil."

"Why the change of heart?" asked Tucker, "I remember very clearly all the havoc you caused back home."

Desiree went back to the fire, gesturing for the others to join her. They all sat down again.

"When I was alive, I never got my heart's desire," she began, "When I became a ghost, I began granting others what they wanted. But after I would do so, I was ignored, or dismissed. So I became bitter, and cynical. I changed my wish-granting so that what they got would turn on them. I got much satisfaction from that."

She looked at the four friends; two humans, a half-ghost, and a ghost. "But you have shown me I am wrong to do so. Not all humans are greedy and self-absorbed. You are helping your friend," she nodded at Ember, "Because you want to. And you have travelled a long way into great danger to do so. I respect that."

There was silence around the campfire.

"What is your heart's desire?" asked Tucker, "If that's not being too personal."

Desiree shook her head. "A kingdom of my own, and a good man to rule beside me." She looked sad. "But it shall never happen, now. The world has changed too much."

"Well, for what it's worth, I hope you do get it, someday," said Tucker, and the others agreed.

"I thank you for that," answered Desiree. "Now I must think some more." She stood up, and walked away from them.

"The fire's dying," observed Sam to Tucker. "We'd better get some more wood."

"Good idea," he replied, "It's really cold here."

Danny turned to say something, and his eyes widened. "LOOK OUT!" he shouted, and tackled Desiree. They rolled down a slight incline, and separated at the bottom.

Desiree looked angry as she sat up. "I TOLD YOU BEFORE, GHOST CHILD, THAT NO MAN TOUCHES ME UNLESS I WISH IT!"

"Does that include him?" asked Danny, pointing.

Desiree looked in the direction indicated, and gasped. Skulker stood at the top of the rise, reeling back in a mechanical claw he had used to try to grab her.

He dropped the barrel of the weapon, and pointed at Desiree. "She is mine! Bought and paid for!" he shouted.

Danny ran back up the hill to the others, Desiree right behind him. "Yeah? Well, if you want her, you'll have to go through us first!" he shouted back.

Desiree stared at Danny. 'They will protect ME?' she thought.

"Fine by me, ghost boy," said Skulker. He walked down the rise toward them. "And while I'm at it, I'll add you to my collection."

Before he could go ghost, Ember stepped in front of Danny, and stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"My turn," she said, pulling her guitar into a ready position.

Skulker stopped. "And what are you going to do? Play me a lullabye, and rock me to sleep?"

"Something like that," replied Ember with an evil grin. She turned a knob on her guitar to the Ghostly Fist.

She hit a hard chord, and a large green fist materialized, and flew at Skulker. It hit him square in the chest, and knocked him over.

"OOOFFF!" he said, surprised. But before he could get to his feet, another fist hit him on the head. "OWWW!" he cried.

Ember played a song, and fist after fist appeared and flew at the ghostly hunter. They never gave him a moment to recover, slamming again and again into him. Pieces of his armor began to fly away from him.

"S-stop!" he shouted, but to no avail. He tried to press a button on his gauntlet, but found them all smashed.

Ember deliberately hit a very loud, hard note, and an exceptionally large fist appeared. It hit Skulker and a large crack appeared on the torso of his armor.

Ember sped up the song, and many fists hit him, again and again. His armor broke into pieces and fell to the ground, being broken into smaller parts by the fists.

The song ended, and the fists disappeared. They waited and watched. Finally, there was some movement, and the small green ghost that was the real Skulker crawled out from under what was left of the helmet.

He tried to flee over the rise, but Ember hit one last note. A fist materialized, and slammed into him. There was a 'SPLAT!' and green ectoplasm squirted in all directions.

"That's that," said Ember with satisfaction.

The others applauded loudly.

"I have made my decision," said Desiree, and the others turned and looked at her. "Your selflessness has convinced me. I will grant her wish."

"ALL RIGHT!" said Danny and Tucker, doing a high five. Sam hugged Ember, and the ghost girl hugged her back.

"Thank you!" said Ember.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Desiree turned to Ember, who was putting her guitar in carrying position on her back.

"I am very powerful in the human world, but here I am limited by the natural conditions.  
I will help as I can," said Desiree, "State your wish."

Ember was silent for a few seconds, deciding how to phrase it. "I wish to have my memories of my human life returned."

"STOP!" boomed a very loud voice from above them.

They all looked up, and were shocked to see an enormous ghost, at least a hundred feet tall,  
towering over them. It was a typical formless entity, black, with glowing green eyes, and red mouth.

Desiree stepped back. "Guardian!" she exclaimed.

Danny transformed into ghost mode.

"DO NOT GRANT THAT WISH!" it said.

"I- it is too late! The wish has been made! I do not have any choice now! I must grant it!  
I MUST!" said Desiree, trembling.

"THEN I AM VERY SORRY, DESIREE, BUT TO PREVENT IT, I MUST DESTROY YOU!" said the Guardian. It slammed its "hands" together, where they merged and morphed into the shape of a hammer's head. It was raised over the Guardian's head, and brought down toward Desiree with all the force the Guardian could muster.

Desiree cowered down, and put her arms over her head.

Danny ran over to her, and threw up his ectoplasmic shield-bubble covering them both. He concentrated, making it as thick and strong as possible.

The hammer-head came down and met the bubble. Danny felt a sharp pain in his side, and exclaimed in surprise. He glanced at Desiree, but she was still hunkering down. The bubble began to bulge inward from the force of the hammer blow, and the pain Danny felt increased.  
But he didn't give in.

Suddenly the hammer-head rebounded, snapping up, and catching the Guardian in the chin. It staggered back, yelling in pain, then fell like giant redwood.

Danny released the bubble and collapsed to his knees, holding his side. He transformed back to human. Desiree looked up, about to thank him for keeping her intact. Seeing Danny in distress, she immediately grabbed him and helped him lie down.

Tucker, Sam, and Ember ran up, and knelt beside Danny, who was groaning.

"Ember," said Desiree, softly. The rocker ghost girl looked up at her.

"As you wish it, so shall it be," said Desiree, motioning with her hands. Green fog surrounded Ember, then dissapated.

Ember stood up, and memories flooded back into her. Her eyes grew wide. "Oh, no..." she said, softly, and sat down. Ectoplasmic tears drifted from her. She closed her eyes, and put her face in her hands. She began to cry.

Desiree put her hand on Danny's back. "Ghost chi... Danny, quickly. Wish for me to make you well."

Danny groaned again, and held his side tighter. His eyes were closed, and he had started sweating, and was very pale.

"Danny, do it now," she said, a note of urgency in her voice.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Sam, gazing at the Wishing Ghost.

"The... what is the word... feedback from the Guardian's blow to his shield has ruptured his internal organs. If it is not attended to now, his human form will die," explained Desiree. "But for me to help him, he must wish it."

Sam immediately turned her attention to Danny. "DANNY! WAKE UP! NOW!" she said, wanting to shake him, but not daring to.

"Ohhh...what?" groaned Danny.

"Wish to be healed, NOW!" said Tucker.

"Okay, okay, don't yell," said Danny, not opening his eyes. "I wish I was healed."

"As you wish it, so shall it be," said Desiree, with relief in her voice. She gestured,  
and the same green fog surrounded Danny. Then it was gone.

Danny sat up, gingerly touching his side. It didn't hurt any more. "Thank you," he said,  
looking up at Desiree.

She smiled. "Three times now you have saved me, putting yourself in danger. This is the very least I could do."

Attracted by crying, Sam turned her attention to her ghost friend.

"Ember? What's wrong?" she asked, kneeling down beside her.

"McLauren," was the reply, through her fingers.

"What?" said Sam, confused.

"My name is Ember McLauren. At least, it was when I was alive," she said.

The others stared at her.

"That's true," said a strange voice behind them.

Startled, they all turned around. The Guardian stood there, in the same amorphous shape,  
but now human sized. He was gazing at Ember.

"What do you want?" asked Danny, preparing to transform. "Another chance to hurt Desiree?"

The strange ghost shook its head. "No. There is no point to that, now. The damage has been done." It looked at Desiree. "I am very glad I did not actually hurt you." It turned its attention to Danny. "And you, ghost child. Are you well? My blow was very powerful."

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to Desiree," Danny answered, still on guard.

"Who are you anyway, man?" asked Tucker.

"Man? No, I am no man. I am the Guardian. I protect the Ghost Zone against threats from the living universe," it answered.

"What kind of threat is Ember's memory?" asked Sam, standing in front of the ghost girl, who was still crying.

"She is not the threat," answered the Guardian, "Her father is."

"That's right," said Ember, quietly, and all attention turned to her.

Ember sighed. "Several years ago, my parents bought a house and moved in. My father was interested in ghosts, and he took the house because there is a natural portal in it. About a year later, my mother died of a heart attack. My father blamed it on ghosts scaring her to death."

"No ghost was guilty of such a thing," said the Guardian, "It was a tragedy, but a natural one."

"He became obsessed with getting revenge. He studied everything he could find about ghosts,  
and even consulted with your parents, Danny. He spent every cent we had and built a bomb that he claimed could destroy every ghost," said Ember.

"That was when he came to my attention," said the Guardian. "I appeared to him, and tried to explain the truth, but he refused to listen. He started to activate the bomb. I tried to stop him, but he had protected the device from ghostly influence somehow."

The Guardian looked sad. "My power is very great in the Ghost Zone, but in the living world I have almost nothing." He looked at Ember. "I had no choice but to take the action I did.  
I tore her spirit from her body, and threw it into the Ghost Zone."

There was, excuse the pun, dead silence.

"I thought that, if he knew his daughter was there, he would not seek to destroy the Ghost Zone. And I was right. He abandoned the bomb for her body. Then he looked at me, and vowed that when he had his daughter's spirit back, the Ghost Zone would be destroyed."

The Guardian shook his head. "Afterwards I returned to the Ghost Zone. I have never been happy with the situation, or my solution. But I kept an eye on her."

"I guess the shock locked away my memories," said Ember, and the Guardian nodded. "Now I know that I remembered my name wrong. That was when Desiree granted my wish. She gave me knowledge of the Ghost Zone, and my nature. I wandered aimlessly until I happened across some travelling ghost musicians."

"Yes," said the Guardian. "Being a tabula rasa (blank slate) allowed a previously unknown talent for the guitar and music to surface. I ordered Nicolai Technus to fashion a guitar for her, hoping it would keep her busy, and she would not find out about her life.

I soon had other, more pressing concerns to worry about, and allowed her to go to the back burner, so to speak. While I was busy, Vlad Plasmius found her, and took her back to the living world."

The Guardian looked at them. "And you know the story from there. The question is, what happens now?"

"I-- I need to go home," said Ember.

"We'll go with you, and make sure that bomb doesn't go off," said Danny.

"I was hoping you would say that," said the Guardian, smiling.

"You trust us with something this big?" said Tucker.

"Yes," answered the Guardian. "I have been watching Danny since he became a Halfa, and I know he means what he says. All of you as well. Besides, this is something it is best that humans resolve."

The Guardian looked around like it was orienting itself, then pointed in a certain direction.  
A lime-green line emerged from its finger, and disappeared into the distance. "Follow that line, and it will take you to the portal in her house. I must go."

It turned and studied Desiree for a long moment, then looked embarrassed. It flew up and away, over the rise and above Skulker's lair, and was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

"Let's rest a bit, then go," said Danny, sitting down at the fire.

"Let's get some more firewood," said Sam to Tucker, and they went to the grove of dead trees and gathered the branches that had fallen.

Soon the green flames were blazing again, and the five of them sat and gazed into them,  
lost in their own thoughts. Sam had taken Ember's hand in an effort to comfort her.

Suddenly Danny looked up at Desiree. "You filled your end of the bargain. You can leave when you want to," he told her.

The Wishing Ghost shook her head and smiled. "I'll be staying with you."

"Oh, you want to know how this ends," said Tucker.

"There is that," Desiree admitted, "But I have another reason."

She looked at Danny. "You rescued me from torture, prevented my recapture, defended me,  
and stopped my destruction. And without so much as asking for a single wish." She stood up and stepped over behind where Sam and Ember were sitting. "For such acts, I will take my place as your third harem girl."

Ember and Sam looked up at her. "WE ARE NOT HIS HAREM GIRLS!" They shouted at the same time.

Desiree looked at Tucker. "And you are not his eunuch?" she asked.

"His what-uch?" asked Tucker, confused.

Desiree stepped over and whispered into Tucker's ear. His eyes got big, and he snapped his legs together. "Nope. No way, no how. Not in a billion years!" he said. He looked at Sam and Ember. "Believe me, you DON'T want to know."

Desiree laughed. "I was teasing," she explained.

She stepped back around to Danny, and sat down on the ground in front of him, facing the fire. "But I now take my place at your feet as your first harem girl."

Danny went red as a beet, while the others gaped at them. Danny felt a stirring deep inside,  
something he had never felt before, and it confused him even more.

"Oh, man..." said Tucker, "Some guys have all the luck."

Danny jumped up, and backed away from her. "Er, uh..." he stuttered.

Desiree looked at him. "I know. Modern culture does not normally allow this. But it is my wish to do so." She lowered her head modestly, and closed her eyes. "You are the Master.  
You do not have to take advantage if you do not wish to."

Danny turned even redder, if possible. He ran around to the other side of the Speeder.

"DANNY!" called Sam, to no avail. She looked at Desiree. "Now you've embarrassed him"  
she accused.

"I know. I did not mean to, but I wanted to give him something," she replied.

Sam glared at her, and followed Danny.

A minute later Tucker got up and wandered in that direction.

Ember gazed at Desiree over the campfire. "For what it's worth, I approve," she said softly.  
"Those of us who are not evil repay our debts."

Desiree sighed. "He refuses to let me grant his wishes, and the only other thing I have to offer is myself. But they are not ghosts, and don't understand that the desire for power is a great motivator for many of us. So many times, it's the only thing we have."

"I probably would have done something like that myself, but I already belong to Sam," said Ember.

"I knew I sensed a spell on you," said Desiree, "Will you tell me about it?"

While telling Desiree the story, they had glossed over that part. Ember filled her in. "But one thing the paper didn't give was how to undo the spell. Say, you've twice granted me a wish for knowledge. Could you do the same for Sam?"

"Yes, easily and gladly," answered Desiree.

Just then, Danny, Tucker, and Sam came back from the Speeder to the campfire. Danny went over to Desiree.

"Uh, look," he said, "We're going to need all the help we can get, so you're welcome to come with us. But we need to stay focused on helping Ember. Would you mind... not... talking about ... that again?" His face turned red again.

Desiree opened her mouth, then closed it. Her initial response was going to be 'As you command,  
Master.' But she realized that would be the wrong thing to say right now. "Very well," she finally answered. Danny looked relieved.

Ember had stepped over to Sam, and was speaking to her in a low voice. Sam brightened. "Good idea," she said. "Desiree, I have a wish."

"State it," said Desiree, smiling at Ember.

"I wish I knew how to undo the spell I cast on Ember," said Sam.

"As you wish it, so shall it be," said Desiree, gesturing. The green fog swirled around Sam,  
and was gone.

Sam got a puzzled look. "That's it? Huh," she said. She turned to Ember, and opened her mouth to speak the words.

"Sam, please don't. At least, not yet," said Ember, stopping her. "I want to be sure that I'll be safe, first."

"Okay, we'll wait. But whenever you want me to, let me know," answered Sam.

Desiree turned to Tucker. "What about you? Do you have a wish? Would you like me to restore your ghost powers?"

Tucker held up his hands. "Uh, thanks but no thanks. Once was enough."

Danny walked toward the Spectre Speeder. "Well, let's go. We still have a long way to go,  
and danger waiting at the end."

They threw dirt on the fire and smothered it, then climbed aboard the Speeder. Sam took her place as pilot. Powering up the craft, she oriented along the line the Guardian had left, and followed it.

The trip took what seemed like hours. Along the way, the two and a half humans ate some lunch, while Ember had some water. Desiree refused anything offered to her.

The farther along they travelled, the more nervous Ember got. "I've been gone for over two years," she said to nobody in particular, "I hope Dad is better, now. He's had a chance to think about things, and I hope he realized the truth."

"So do we," said Sam.

"But if he hasn't, I want you all to use any way you can to stop that bomb. From what I remember about it, it will work," added Ember.

They flew on in silence, following the Guardian's line. Finally, it came to an end on a rock about the size of a small house. On it stood an ordinary wooden door.

Sam parked the Speeder, and the humans donned their jackets again. The five of them stepped out, and stood beside the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Ember took a trembling hand, and put it on the knob.

"Wait," said Danny, "We need to fix something first. He will be expecting Ember to be a ghost, but it might be better if the rest of us aren't."

He turned to Desiree. "Can you look more human?" he asked her.

Desiree put her hands together, and bowed slightly to Danny. "If you wish it."

"I wish you looked like a human, dressed in modern clothes," he said.

"As you wish it, so shall it be," said Desiree, spreading her arms. A green cloud surrounded her, and disappeared. Her skin was now copper-brown, her eyes black and shining. She was now wearing a blue blouse, jeans, and sandals.

Tucker's eyes bugged out. "Wow!" he said.

"This was my appearance when I was alive," she said, smiling. She turned around for them. "Do you approve?"

"Oh, yeah..." said Danny, almost drooling.

"Uh, guys, we need to focus here," said Sam.

"Ah... right," said Danny, snapping out of it, "Let me go in first. If he hates ghosts as much as you say, he might have traps around the portal."

Danny opened the door, and peered into a darkened basement room. "Nothing obvious,"  
he commented. He stepped over the threshhold, and immediately floodlights snapped on,  
and an alarm pealed.

"Whoops! Guess he knows we're here," said Tucker.

"Ya think?" queried Sam, pushing him forward. Ember was behind Sam, and Desiree last.  
When she was in the room, Desiree closed the door behind her.

Suddenly the alarm was silenced. Their ears rang from the noise. A new noise could now be heard; the sound of an energy weapon being charged.

"Hold it right there, ya stinkin' ghost!" came a voice from the top of the stairs. "Thought you could sneak up on me, huh?"

There was a clatter as someone came down the stairs. An unkempt man appeared. He wore his clothes carelessly, had a few days growth of beard, and really needed to comb his hair. He held a large bazooka-like device that glowed red energy at the business end.

It was a tense moment, until Ember stepped in front of Danny. "Daddy?" she asked. The weapon immediately targeted her.

"Daddy, it's me," she said softly.

The man's eyes grew wide, and his aim faltered. "Ember? Honey? Is- is it really you?"  
He dropped the weapon's nose.

"Yes, Daddy, I'm here," she replied, hesitantly holding out her arms.

The weapon hit the floor with a loud THUNK, and father and daughter were reunited.

The others looked anywhere except at them, to give them a minute of privacy. But finally the hugs ended. Mr. McLauren held Ember away from himself.

"Oh, honey, you're still a ghost," he said, sadly.

"Yeah, Daddy, still," replied Ember.

"Well, we're going to fix that. Who are your companions?" he asked, finally taking a better look.

"This is Danny, Tucker, Desiree, and my very best friend Sam," said Ember, acknowledging each in turn.

"And... none of you are ghosts?" he asked.

"Um..." said Sam, and Ember gave her a brief shake of the head.

"No, sir, one hundred percent human here," she said. Technically, this wasn't a lie. Sam WAS human, after all.

"Let's go upstairs and get aquainted. You can tell me your story there," said Mr. McLauren.  
They followed him up to the main floor, where he stopped and pressed a button. The lights downstairs went out. "Reset button," he explained.

"Daddy, what's happened here?" asked Ember, looking around. The house was a wreck. Electronic parts were stacked up everywhere, clothes tossed around on the furniture, bags of trash that needed to go to the curb weeks ago by the door.

"I'm sorry, hon," he answered, "I've been too busy to keep things clean like your mom did."

They followed him to the living room, and moved books and papers from chairs so they could sit down.

"What has happened to you over the last two years? Why didn't you come back home?" asked Mr. McLauren.

Ember gave him an edited version of events, leaving out her and Danny fighting, and Desiree's help. "And after I got my memory back, Danny offered to bring me home in his parent's Ghost Zone transport," she finished.

"So you became a rock star? I never would have expected that," he commented.

"Didn't you see Ember on TV?" asked Tucker, "She was all over the media."

"I haven't turned on the TV since... you know," he replied.

"Well, I'm here now, and we can get our lives back together, Daddy," said Ember.

"Speaking of lives, there's something waiting for you in your room," said Mr. McLauren.

Ember looked hopeful. "Is it...?"

"Yes, your body. Why don't you go reclaim it?" he replied.

"MY BODY!" squealed Ember, clapping her hands. "Finally, some heat!" She grabbed Sam's hand as she stood up. "Come with me, please."

"Sure," answered Sam, and followed her friend out of the room.

When they got to the stairs, Ember walked up the first three, then flew up to the top.  
She disappeared through the second door on the right.

Sam arrived shortly thereafter, and put her hand on the knob. Suddenly Ember came back through the door walking backwards. She had a shocked expression on her face. Sam moved back a few feet.

"Uh... Ember?" she said.

Ember looked at her, and Sam saw tears running down the ghost girl's cheeks. Ember wrapped her arms around Sam, and let the sobs start.

"What's wrong?" asked Sam, doing her best to comfort her friend. "Is it there?"

"Oh, God, Sam," said Ember, and pulled away from her a little. "Yes, it's there. But it's not waiting for me."

"I... I don't understand," said Sam.

"It's dead," Ember replied, sobbing, "My body is dead. And it has been for a long time."  
Fresh ectoplasmic tears fell down her cheeks.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

"Ember, I'm so sorry," said Sam, drawing Ember back into a hug. Tears for her friend made tracks down her face.

Some time later, Ember pulled away again, trying to compose herself.

Sam put her hand on the knob and turned it. Ember heard the sound, and quickly turned to her. "Sam, please, don't go in there."

"But I just..." started Sam.

"Please, don't," said Ember, "It's a horrible sight, and I don't want you to see it."

Sam turned the knob some more, and Ember dropped to her knees. "I am your slave, and I can't stop you. All I can do is beg. Please, please, don't go in there. Trust me, you don't want to see it."

Sam let go of the doorknob without opening it. She stepped over and raised Ember to her feet. "Okay, if it's really that bad..."

"It is. Thank you," said Ember.

"Well, let's go find out what happened," said Sam, turning to the stairs. Ember followed closely.

When they got back to the living room, it was just in time to hear the men and Desiree laughing at some joke of Tucker's.

"Daddy?" said Ember, approaching her father.

"Ember, sweety, why aren't you back in your body?" he said, looking at her.

"It's dead, Daddy. Why didn't you take care of it?" said Ember, softly.

Her father's face changed, becoming a rictus of rage. "I KNEW IT!" he shouted, standing up, "You aren't my daughter! It's all some ghost trick!"

They all stared at the man. "What?" said Ember, "Daddy, no!"

"You can't inhabit it because you are not Ember! I've had enough! Two years of this! I'm going to end it all, wiether I get my daughter back or not!" he shouted, and ran from the room.

Stunned, his visitors watched him leave, then looked at each other.

"I think we'd better go stop him," said Danny, "I'm going ghost!"

He changed forms, and tried to dive through the floor. He slammed into it, and fell flat.  
"I can't go through the floor!" he said, pushing against it.

"He has some sort of ghost shield, based on your parent's work," explained Ember, "Come on!"

They followed Ember back through the house, finding the door to the basement standing open.

"Daddy, wait!" shouted Ember, as she flew down the stairs.

"Sam, Tucker, you come last. Desiree, come on!" said Danny.

Desiree nodded, and reverted to her ghost form. She followed Danny down the stairs, and the two humans brought up the rear.

At the bottom, they found Mr. McLauren standing by a large bomb-shaped object, with Ember standing a few feet away. He was tapping on a keyboard attached to the bomb. An LED timer started, showing 30 seconds. It dropped to 29.

"I'll show all you ghosts what for!" he shouted, "All the tricks, lies, death, and destruction you've put my family through! I will have my revenge! HA HA HA HA HA!" his eyes showed only madness. Then he caught sight of Danny and Desiree. "More ghosts! I was right! This was all a trick! One you will never get away with!"

"Daddy, please!" pleaded Ember, holding her hands out to him.

"You horrible spirit, how dare you take on my daughter's form? Now go back to oblivion where you belong!" he said, and picked up from somewhere an energy pistol. It make a rising whine as it powered up. He aimed it at Ember.

A bolt of green from Danny destroyed the pistol. Mr. McLauren looked at his slightly singed hands, then at Danny. "That doesn't matter! You all will be destroyed!"

The timer had dropped to 10 seconds.

Danny took aim at the control console on the bomb, and sent another green ectoplasmic beam at it. It splashed harmlessly away without touching the bomb.

"Uh oh," said Danny.

6...

5...

"Let's get out of here!" shouted Tucker, and turned toward the stairs. Sam followed.

"You can't get away! Every ghost will be destroyed!" shouted Mr. McLauren.

3...

2...

1...

Zero...

With a loud CLANG! a portal on the bomb opened, and the air started stirring and moving toward it. The suction grew harder and harder. Danny, Desiree and Ember were being dragged toward it. Because of their solidity, Sam and Tucker were less affected.

"It's like a huge Fenton Thermos!"thought Danny.

A small wooden box on a shelf suddenly flew toward the bomb, and smacked Sam in the head.  
"Aaagghh!" she screamed, and fell backwards, where the suction grabbed her and pulled her toward the bomb.

"Ember! Help!" she cried, weakly.

Seeing her friend in trouble, Ember put on a huge effort, and moved against the wind toward Sam. "I... will... not... fail... you...," she muttered. She reached Sam and pulled her to herself.

"Danny, what do we do?" shouted Ember over the wind.

"I... uh..." Danny looked around in a panic. "I got an idea! Follow me!" He grabbed Tucker,  
turned them both intangible, then dived into the floor. Desiree followed closely.

Ember looked at her father, while holding the injured and semi-consious Sam. He was staring at her with maddened eyes, and a huge grin. It was a sight she would never forget. Then she too dived into the ground, carrying Sam with her.

Casting a green light, they found each other. Above them, they could clearly hear the wind howl. Then came the splintering of wood. That sound grew until it drowned out the wind. Then came a creak of metal as it was bent. With a low moan like a giant animal in pain, the sound died, and there was silence.

They waited several more minutes before venturing up to the surface. What they found shocked them. The house was destroyed. What was left of support beams leaned toward where the bomb had been. Piles of wood, chopped to splinters, were oriented toward it as well. A lot of debris, much of it unrecognizable, lay around. The sun shone brightly down into what was left. The nearby trees were also leaning toward the wreckage.

They stood in where the basement had been, looking around.

"Wow," commented Tucker.

Danny went over to the portal. He opened the door and looked in. Everything appeared to be the same. The Spectre Speeder still waiting for them.

"Thanks, Ember," said Sam, holding her head.

"You're welcome," replied Ember, then, "You're bleeding." She found a piece of cloth, rinsed it out in a broken water pipe's flow, and held it to Sam's head. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Just then, a previously-unknown aspect of the spell was activated. When the spell was created, it was assumed the ghost affected would be enraged about being controlled. So punishment for disobedience or failure was woven into it. The spell realized the ghost's master was no longer in danger, and that the ghost had failed to protect the master, so punishment was meted out.

Ember suddenly fell to the floor, screaming in agony. To Ember, it felt like every atom of her body was encased in iron.

Danny, Tucker, and Desiree, startled, went to her. Danny looked at Desiree. "What's wrong? Can you do anything?"

"No, I can not. It is not my magic," answered Desiree.

Danny looked at Sam, who was looking away, lost in thought. As Sam was the ghost's master, the spell was giving her knowledge of what was occurring.

"Sam? SAM!" shouted Danny.

Sam looked at him, startled. "Oh, it's the spell!" she said, and quickly knelt by the screaming ghost girl. She knew what to do now. "Ember! I forgive you! I forgive you!" shouted Sam over the screams.

Ember fell silent. The pain was gone. She looked up at Sam, and began to cry. "Thank you, Sam," she said, and reached up to hug her friend. "I will never fail you again."

'Uh, let's talk about it later. Why don't you go find your father?" said Sam, helping Ember stand.

"Yes, Sam," she answered, then flew around through objects, looking.

Danny flew up some twenty feet. It was apparent the bomb had not affected anything much beyond the house itself. The yard surrounding the house was huge, and Danny could see other houses in the distance. People were standing in their yards, looking toward them.

"Uh oh. I bet that means we're going to have company soon," he thought, and went back down to the others.

Ember landed by them. "No sign of him, or my body," she said.

Just then, they heard the sounds of sirens in the far distance.

"I think we'd better leave soon," said Tucker.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

As they walked back to the portal to the Ghost Zone, Desiree put her hand on Ember's shoulder, and stopped walking. Ember stopped as well. The humans went on.

"Listen," said Desiree, "I have something very important to tell you. My powers sometimes let me see a little way into the future. There is a time coming, very soon, when Sam will need you by her side."

"What's going to happen?" asked Ember, brow wrinkling in concern.

"I know not. But I do know that if you are not there, it will end very badly for her. You must promise to look after her, to guard her, whatever else happens," said Desiree.

The two ghosts looked into each other's eyes.

"I promise," said Ember.

"I am glad. Thank you," replied Desiree.

They drifted into the area with the humans.

"We should be going home now," said Sam.

"Yeah, our parents are gonna kill us. Who knows how long we've been gone," said Tucker.

"Fear not," said Desiree, "It is still the same day you left."

The three humans breathed a sigh of relief.

Danny looked at Desiree. "What are you going to do?"

"I will return to my home in the Ghost Zone," she answered, "But first I am going to go to Skulker's place and see that the ghosts there are released."

"Good idea," said Danny.

"Ember?" said Sam, stepping over and putting her hand on the ghost girl's arm. Tears were in her eyes.

"McLane," was the answer. She looked around. "My name is Ember McLane. I have nothing here. No reason at all to stay." She looked at her friends. "Let's go home."

Sam smiled through her tears, and hugged Ember.

Desiree drifted over to her. "If you wish it, I can take away these memories," she said.

Ember looked at the Wishing Ghost, and shook her head. "No, thank you. I just got them back, and good or bad, they are MY memories. I will keep them."

Desiree smiled sadly. "Then my wish for you is that your memories will teach you wisdom."

Desiree stepped over to Tucker. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and knelt before him.  
"You are good hearted, brave, and loyal. You love your friends, and they love you. I am very glad to know you." She kissed him on the cheek, then hugged him. "And fear not. What you desire will soon be yours. Without help from me."

She got up, went over to Sam, and knelt before her. She took Sam's hands in her own and stared deeply into her violet eyes. Sam suddenly heard Desiree's voice in her head. "I am speaking just to you. I know your feelings for Danny. I do not wish to make your burden heavier, so will just say this. Girls mature faster than boys. He is unaware of his feelings for you, though they have started to come to the surface. Have patience. Stay with him, and be his friend. He needs you."

Sam looked at Desiree, and nodded slowly. The Wishing Ghost smiled. "You understand. That is hopefull. But do not neglect your other friends. That way lies disaster."

Finally, she went over to Danny, and knelt before him. "You have done so much for me. You are becoming a true leader, and you are much wiser than you know. You inspire friendship,  
love, and loyalty in those that know you. You have helped many, both ghosts and living, and never ask anything in return. Stay true to the path you have chosen. The rewards will be very great, though you may not see them yet."

She hugged him tightly, then sat back. "And remember. Despite your protests, I am now, and always will be, your harem girl. Should you ever desire me, or need me, wish for me, and I will come to you."

Danny turned red and grinned. "And if you need me...us," he corrected, turning even redder,  
"You know where we are."

Desiree stood up, and went over to the portal. "Fair well, my friends!" she called, waving,  
"We shall meet again!" She turned her lower half smoky, and disappeared through the portal.

"Well, you did it again," said Sam, grinning.

"Did what?" asked Danny.

"Turned an enemy ghost into a friend," she answered.

"Yeah, that seems to be happening a lot lately..." he said, and they all laughed.

Carefully, they stepped through the natural portal and found themselves back in the Ghost Zone. The Speeder hovered waiting for them. They looked around, but saw no sign of Desiree.

"I kinda miss her," said Tucker.

"Yeah, you miss any girl who kisses you," said Sam.

The four of them got back into the Spectre Speeder, Sam piloting. She revved up the engines,  
and Tucker turned on the navigation beacon.

"Got a lock on the Fenton Portal," Tucker reported, "And we should be home soon." She turned the machine in the requisite direction, and it headed off into the mysterious depths of the Ghost Zone.

The End

Author's Note:

The third story will probably be called "Ember's Sacrifice". It may be a while before it's posted, though. I'm working on another Kim Possible fic right now.


End file.
